Björk launches major new exhibition in Iceland

It features reworkings of two songs from ‘Fossora’ on a new theatrical scale, as well as a glimpse of a song from her upcoming album

Björk has opened a major new exhibition in her native Iceland which is formed of three, deeply personal, large-scale audiovisual installations.

The exhibition opened at the The National Gallery of Iceland in Reykjavík on Saturday (May 30), and includes two emotional audio works written in memory of Björk’s mother. It also features a brand new film and sound installation, made from music that features in a forthcoming Björk album that is expected to be released in 2027 .

At the heart of the exhibition are the two audio pieces inspired by the singer’s late mother: ‘Ancestress’ and ‘Sorrowful Soil’. Each of them originally featured on her 2022 album ‘ Fossora ‘, and have now been reimagined on a theatrical scale within a museum context for the first time.

‘Ancestress’ tackles themes of grief and renewal, and is showcased with visuals of a remote Icelandic valley in the gallery. It has been designed as a ritualistic meditation and blends cinematic landscapes with powerful, intriguing instrumentals.

‘Sorrowful Soul’ is presented as an immersive nine-part piece, including 30 individual speaker channels transmitting voices from the Hamrahlíð Choir. It has been designed in partnership with speaking company Genelec and aspires to make voice and architecture come together as one.

The third part of the installation is a new piece of music drawn from an upcoming album from Björk. Details about the title and release date still remain under wraps, although the song that features in the exhibition promises to offer fans “an early glimpse into her next creative chapter through sound, film and immersive technology.”

In a statement, Björk said that the visuals were designed by her alongside painter Natalia Kleszczewska and graphic designer Natalie Liu.